Until The Moon Rises
by KayJayy
Summary: For years and years of her life, Elizabeth Brouer has been kept inside, locked away from the rest of society... But why? On the fateful night of her sixteenth birthday, Liz has every intention of finding out. But, is she mentally and emotionally prepared for the truth?
1. Chapter 1

What's this..? is it... A new story, by KENZIE?! Why yes children, yes it is. And I do hope you thoroughly enjoy it. Right now it's just a test run. I don't know whether to keep it short? Or go long? Like, go hard or go home folks, but should I 'go hard'? That's up to you, I suppose(:

* * *

"_Now, sweetheart, you don't want to be stupid and walk out that front door, do you? __They'll__ eat you alive. Literally."_

Until recently, I just thought that my mother was a little too protective, like she was worried that if I were to venture outside on my own I would be too easily persuaded by naughty teenagers sucking face with strangers. That I would soon rebel and start smoking, maybe kill somebody, who knows.

But, like the naïve little girl I was, I calmly obeyed my mother, and I would never leave the house alone, especially after the moon rises. I was to lock my windows at night, and even make sure the blinds were down. But, to me, it made sense. Why? Because my parents were so sure of it. I must've convinced myself that night-time air was potent in diseases.

But this night was different. It was my sixteenth birthday, and I was feeling curious. Mother and Father were out in the town with the neighbors. They would do this monthly, spending the whole night away, and returning in the morning with an excessive amount of supplies. Food, pens, paper, bathing goods, and lastly, ammunition.

Of course, I didn't figure out about the ammo until the shy age of twelve, when I offered to help bring the groceries in. Never seeing such things before, I asked mother for an explanation on why we needed them. She replied with "Oh, Daddy just loves to shoot his guns with his friends, well, Lizzybear, sweetie, it's a guy thing."

I believed her, that Dad just had a hobby of guns and bullets. But, my suspicion grew when I read the label carefully. "New variety pack! Ash wood, Elder wood, and Oakwood!"

To that I asked, "Mother, are these… wooden bullets?"

"Oh? Yes. They're much, much cheaper than a regular lead bullet"

And I accepted that. Mother was clever, to throw these simple, understandable reasons at a child, knowing I would devour the information, only to forget it hours later. But I, I was as inquisitive as they came. And my gut told me, 'cheaper' wasn't the only reason that there were wooden bullets in our grocery bags. My parents had plenty of money. Hell, with the amount of stuff they bring back monthly, you'd think they never knew what an empty wallet feels like.

And so, tonight, they're out, busy restocking our everlasting supplies. Maybe they'll be generous and bring back a birthday cake. Upon leaving, Mother kissed me on the forehead, like she always does before leaving the house, and whispered to me,

"Lock every door and window, make sure all the blinds are down, tonight's a full moon."

They say a full moon brings out all the crazies, the killers, the offenders, and your average _joker_, and that's why they're called "Luna-tics." It's a silly theory, I always thought. But, mother acted like this was straight out of her bible, saying it was a sin for your child to even see a full moon.

Honestly, if you asked me what it looked like, I couldn't tell you. I've seen illustrations, and pictures, but I've never laid eyes on the moon before. I've always had to shut everything allowing me to see the outside before the moon even showed up.

**But tonight, that was changing.**

I waited at least an hour after my parents left the house, silence lingering on all corners of my rooms. I took a few breaths, reassuring my antics, and walked out of my room. This wasn't a common thing for me to do, unless a parent was home. When the house was vacant, I would wait in my room all night, reading old books that mother gave me.

So, with my newfound bravery, I was slowly roaming around my small, Victorian hall house. The photos hanging on the dark walls depicted old ancestors of my family. I suppose anyway you look at it, we came from a very wealthy lineage. I stopped in front of our back door, which leads out to a small prairie area, surrounded by a tall, white, picket fence. Of course, I only know this from my early childhood, when Father would take me outside in autumn to see the leaves float away from our old Ash tree. Those days abruptly stopped when I hit the age of ten. Coincidently, also around the time when I got my first period. Once mother figured out, my time spent outside came to a bitter end. "Hormones will make a girl go crazy, and we don't want you running off" Mother would say.

The only time I'm out is the distance between our front door and Mother's Chevy traverse. I take in as much as I could of the scenery, the forest behind our house, the flowers that line our driveway, Father's SUV, which honestly scared me, the way he tinted the windows a dark, dark color, and the rest of the vehicle was black, with weird antennas sticking out of it. I loved the way the gravel crunched beneath my feet, as wooden flouring wouldn't usually make that noise. Arriving at our destination was just as thrilling. The only two places I've been is my aunt Sam's place, a little cottage in the middle of a forest, and Grandmothers log cabin, also at an unreasonably long distance from civilization. Both of them were in on the protective gene, and wouldn't let me outside.

So, back to my wondrous journey.

I stood there, motionless, staring at the back door. I could see light peering in from the bottom, beckoning at me. I took a step closer, holding my breath, eyes lock on the glow emitting from the outline of the door, almost as if the light was getting brighter with each second I stared. Another step, and I could feel my heart racing. "It's just a door, Liz, a door" I told myself. _Step, step. _Finally, I was in reach of the doorknob.

I extended my hand, resting my pale fingers on the golden shine of the handle. I swallowed and gripped the knob, flinching at how cold it was. Like it was a warning sign. _Cold is bad, Elizabeth._

And then, like someone was waiting for me on the other side of the door, I felt the knob twist beneath my hand. I felt a bad chill creep slowly down spine, almost paralyzing me. My eyes grew wide and my hand grew frozen, when all in a split second, I felt cold. A shivering cold that I had never felt before. I had the urge to drop into fetal position and hug myself, wrap my arms around my sides, in hope for some heat, when I stopped and looked up.

The door was open.


	2. Chapter 2

Once, when I was younger, I had told my mother that I saw a monster under my bed. She laughed and sat down to talk to me at my little tea-table.

"Lizzybear, sweety, sometimes, when we get scared, our subconscious makes us see and hear things that aren't actually there. This is the cause of most dreams we call 'nightmares'. Don't be afraid of anything, my dear, because Mummy and Daddy will never, _ever _let anything happen to our little princess."

What she said led me to think I was smarter, and had more control over myself. Some nights, after Father would tell me scary stories, I wouldn't just tell myself _they don't exist,_ but instead, I just told myself that I was stronger than them. And _they _were afraid of _me. _Just making them disappear seemed boring, lacking in imagination, so when I stared under my bed, thinking I was facing monsters, I would say "BOO." And not be afraid anymore. Mother said I inherited this trait from Father, saying  
"That's exactly what father does when he comes across something scary. He simply becomes even more frightening."

. . .

The cold I felt gradually spreading throughout my entire body had stopped. I had two options: I would shut the door, and turn around, going straight back into my room, or I could walk outside, and finally look at the moon. Either way, _Mother and Father would absolutely not find out._

I listened to the wind whisper around the house, letting my curiosity settle into something more. Something that began to control my body. I felt the seconds go by, the clocks in the house, ticking. What was something that would occasionally lull me to sleep was now a loud throb in my ears. With each _tick _I would take a baby step forward, and with each _tock_, my anxiety rose. I continued to do this, slowly gaining more confidence, like everything was okay. _It's just dark, that's all. _

"_Things can hide in the dark, my dear." _

I jumped, letting a small yelp escape my lips, turning my head furiously, in all directions, before realizing that no one was with me. I was just recalling something my Father said. I began to chuckle at my weakness. I couldn't accept the fact I was scared. Scared of what may be in front of me. I can't let my fear get the better of me.

I straightened out my posture, breathed heavily, and took that first step outside, feeling the grass slither beneath me, wet from dew. There was a calm breeze, making the shadows dance frivolously across the lawn. Surprisingly this wasn't scary at all. The air was humid, and warm, almost giving off a sense of comfort. My eyes adjusting quickly, and soon I saw our picket fence, illuminated by the moon's light. _The moon!_

I smiled, and tilted my head upwards, breathing in the fresh night air. _No diseases here, mum. _The scenery had me taken aback. Stars, twinkling from every corner of a sky that was multiple shades of blue and purple. It was dazzling. I shuffled my feet and began to turn in circles, embracing the midnight lights. When finally, the biggest light of them all was within my vision. The moon, far more enchanting than any picture I've ever seen. I felt a huge grin appear on my face, the words escaped from my lips,

"So beautiful."

And then, like white to black, the cold returned. The shadows stretching across the ground no longer seemed pretty, but rather eerie. I looked down, almost frightened. Like suddenly the moon wasn't bright anymore. I stared at my shoes, only seeing darkness below me. I leaned down to feel the blades of grass, scared by how the ground seemed further away now. Everything seemed wrong now. Like when the printer doesn't work, and the paper appears vibrant in some places, and dark, dull in other. Something that shouldn't creep you out, but it does, and you feel so helpless because of it.

Just like out of one of Father's scary stories, something suddenly moved out in the distance, and I heard branches braking, leaves rubbing against something. _There's something in the ash tree. _I had a scary feeling that this _thing_ was there the whole time. Waiting, until I would let my guard down.

I focused my attention on the curvy tree, which now looked distorted and alive, when I spotted it. Something large, and hunched over, high in the tree, hiding themselves behind the bushes, looking at me, _watching me_. It looked bigger than me, but not exactly twice my size. I assumed if it stood straight it would have at least a foot on me. The thought made me cower.

I took a step backwards, closer to the door. I kept my eyes open, motionless, staring at the figure.  
I swallowed and whispered, weakly,

"I'm not afraid."

Whatever it was must have heard me, because it reacted by swinging down and sitting on a lower branch, one without any leaves. I tried my hardest not to let the darkness play tricks on me, and squinted my eyes at the creature. I built up whatever courage I had left in me, and took a slow step closer, so I could see it in a better light.

The branch shook, and my breathing stopped so abruptly I thought I was going to fall over from shock. I hadn't felt fear like that before. Where everything feels so numb, so cold, it almost burns. The air suddenly felt heavier, like if I were to make an attempt to run away, I would drag my feet, not being able to move, caught, like bait in a trap, waiting for my demise. I blinked, like it was one of the biggest decisions I could make. Like taking my eyes off of this thing for even a second could be crucial.

Red. Like the color of blood. Two lights, peering at me, like lasers. Brighter than any star. I sensed goose bumps appearing all over me when I realized that those were indeed it's _eyes. _Watching me, like I was its prey. Waiting for me to make a move, give a blind spot, so it could swoop down here and _kill _me. _Why didn't I just stay inside? Why did I have to be so selfish? What is that thing?! What does it want? Is it harmless? I don't remember harmless things looking at you like you're a piece of meat; furthermore, it's looking at me with RED EYES. That are GLOWING._

But then, I wasn't curious anymore. I didn't care what it was. I wanted to be as far away from it as possible. I breathed out, making a lot more noise than I expected, almost startling the creature.

_3…_

It put a hand down on the branch, looking as if it was about to swing down once again. Leaning forward, its eyes glowed even brighter, like they were the only thing outside that had color, and in comparison, everything around it seemed black. A deathly black. And I felt like a 'deer in the headlights.' Only I didn't think it was just going to run me over.

_2…_

I straightened my posture again, making myself seem bigger. Humming to my petty little mind, _I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid. _But it didn't work. The part that was missing was the _they're more afraid of you. _I doubted with every bone in my body that shouting, "BOO!" would work in this situation. For all I knew, it could be a trigger word, and he would be charging at me with unknown speed, making his first kill of the night. _Or his second. Or third. Or…_

…_1!_

I turned my body as fast as I possibly could, prayed that I wouldn't slip on the moist grass, and fled back into the house, slamming the door behind me. Without looking, I locked the door, and slid down it, landing in a fetal position. A tear streamed down my face.

"Just what the hell was that thing?!"

I was now sobbing, cradling myself in my shivering arms. Replaying the same thing over and over in my head. Those eyes. Those cold, blood-colored, deadly eyes. My breath was short, like I had been running miles. My heart was racing, on the verge of an attack, but I didn't feel numb anymore. Rather, I felt warm again. Like being inside of my house made everything safe again. In my house, monsters only existed in Father's stories. And then the thought dawned on me, seeping the word 'safe' back out of my mind, because it had no right to be there.

_What if it's in the house? What if, when I wasn't looking, it came through the door? No, no, I shut it as soon as I came in.. It's not possible. .NO._

I heaved myself up, paying attention to how still everything in the house was. The clocks were still ticking, the windows, still shut. Blinds were still down. The house seemed normal. Unharmed. No noise, but it wasn't too quiet. I walked up to my room, with a little faster pace than usual, afraid that something might drag me into a dark closet. The hairs on the back of my neck were tingling, along with the goose bumps on my arms.

Once I was in my room, I locked my door, and sat on my bed. My lamp was on, and flickering a little. Though, this didn't bother me. It always flickered, ever since I hit it over playing tag with my Father at a young age. I took off my old boots and tossed them aside, then shimmered my jacket off. Afterwards, I lay back, resting my head on my pillow, stroking the duvet. My bed was very small, and held itself neatly tucked in the far corner of my room. I stared at my baby blue ceiling for a long time before feeling any hint of sleepiness. My room now felt smaller than before. As if it was closing in on me. I supposed being outside after a long time of confinement would do this to you. It made my room, my house, pale in comparison. Then I remembered the reason I stumbled my way out our back door. _The moon_. I tried remembering how beautiful it was, how the light of it magnificently showered down upon everything. But now it's like my memory was slurred. I can only remember looking up, and seeing the moon, as pretty as it is, with a deep tint of red.

Thinking there's no way a moon could be red, I suddenly remembered reading about something similar to that in a book about mythology. "Blood moon," it was called. I felt a surge of chills raced over my body. I sprung out of bed and quickly scanned my bookshelf for it.

"Mythology: Old Folktales and Legends"

Upon grabbing it, sliding another book off the shelf as well, I flipped the page to the tables of contents, under "B," like it was in bold print, I found it, and turned to page 35 to read to myself.

_Blood Moon, also commonly called a "Hunter's Moon," is a full moon that comes the month after a Harvest Moon. Not to be overlooked, this moon is just as creepy as its name. In most legends, the Blood Moon is famous for its horror and gore that come along with it.  
It is said that the number of supernatural occurrences often become magnified on this night, making it dangerous to roam about as you please. This is how it also earned the name of Hunter's Moon. Generally, there will be Lycanthropic and Vampyric hunters, out all night, tracking down and slaughtering these beasts, with the help of a few mystic seekers, or your average psychic. _

I stopped and flipped to a different page, one on "Mystic Seekers."

_Mystic Seekers are a hunter's sidekick. On a hunt, a mystic seeker will help a hunter by using psychic abilities to track down certain beasts. Usually, a seeker will only help one family his whole life, and even generations later. This is because of an old legend stating a seeker shall only guide the family that their ancestors chose. Seekers are mystic because their bloodline travels down from that of elven people. This is where they get their abilities from, as elves are very magical beings. _

My eyes trailed off the page and I sad there, befuddled as ever. I remember reading this book before, but never was I so shaken by the information. But of course, I tried not to let it get to me, considering it _was _a book on _MYTHOLOGY._

My head started to ache from confusion, so I sauntered my way into my bed, snuggling into my blankets, letting the fabric consume me for another night of rest. With my newfound experience and information, I doubted that my dreams would be anything of a pallet cleanser for me. I planned on getting information on what exactly happened that night. But how?

And then, my eyes slowly shut, and my mind was surrounded by darkness once again.


	3. Chapter 3

GOMEN. I originally wanted to make this chapter a lot longer, but I decided to stop it where I did, but I will try to do the next chapter quick for your enjoyment! I just feel that if I rush things the story wouldn't be as descriptive and elaborate... I apologize for the wait, but here you go!

* * *

I awoke to the sound of my mother's car pull in the driveway. I stretched and smiled, glad that they were home. But, the smile soon vanished when I saw a book on the floor. The events of last night suddenly came swarming into my brain like an attack. There were so many questions I had. But I wasn't expecting any answers, as most of them involved my meeting up with a deadly creature. Just thinking back to being outside sent a bad feeling to my gut. After a few minutes of spacing out, I heard my mother yell my name from downstairs. I sighed, and drug myself out of bed to change and go welcome them back.

I was rubbing my eyes going down the steps when I heard several people scream, "Surprise!"

I blinked, reassessing my surroundings. My neighbors, grandmothers, and aunt were standing next to my parents, who were holding a medium-sized caked, topped with burning candles. Still confused, I exchanged gazes with my Father and Mother, until one of them spoke up.

"Lizzy, Hun, I really wanted to spend all yesterday with you, I did, but we absolutely _had_ to go out last night. So, I really, truly hope you forgive me for not celebrating your birthday with you. I mean, sixteen, that's a big year, Hun. Now, come here and blow out the candles!"

I staggered a moment, then obeyed and approached the cake with a smile. I blew out the candles, without even giving thought of making a wish. Honestly, I had completely forgotten that it was my birthday the night before. They all cheered and set the cake down in the middle of our kitchen table. Mother cut me a slice, and I took it, pretending I was overjoyed. I glanced about the room, looking at everyone. My aunt looked a lot like my fathers, and was oddly built for a woman. She had short brown hair, and dark olive skin. She was a warming character, always knew how to liven the room, but when I spoke with her, there's always this distance, like she will only tell you very little about herself.  
Grandmother was the same way, only not as social. She was quiet, and whenever she spoke, it was always something wise. Her hair was long and dark grey, almost black, and her build was very husky. Nothing about her really screamed _old_. I had always found her intimidating, but Father insisted she was a very kind woman.

"She's just not very approachable, it's a family thing. Also, saying she's a _workaholic _is a nice way to put it." Although he said that, Father never told me what she did for a job. It must not have anything out of her house, because the commute is horrible.

Then, I rested my gaze on our neighbors. I don't usually see them, as they only come over for special occasions. The woman, Elora Vestiel, was tall, and very fair-skinned. Her hair was a ghostly blonde, and very, very long. She always looked elegant, and was very meticulous at everything she did. Her voice was soft, and comforting. Mother once told me that when she sang, she sounded like an angel. Her eyes were green. A bright green that captures your attention. Her husband, Alinar (Alin for short) isn't much different. He's tall as well, and has very long, bright hair, along with a pale complexion.  
I've wondered where they came from, considering how different they looked, and their names, but when I asked them, they said,

"Our family comes from around many different areas, as we are constantly moving around. So, there is no specific location."

Since then, I've shrugged the curiosity away. I began eating my cake, listening to my parent's conversations. "So, Elora, what's Rein been up to? I haven't seen him in a long time." Elora stops, smiles, and while looking at me, she states, "Rein has been training. So, for the time being, he's staying with Hethavorn."

I felt inquisitive on why she looked at me when she spoke, almost like they were keeping a secret from me. I fidgeted, and stared at Elora. "Um, excuse me, but who is 'Rein'?"

Silence falls in the kitchen...Both Elora and Alinar are looking at me, then Elora opens her mouth and turns to look at Mother with a concerning face. "Does she…-" My mother started moving around laughing frantically, "Ah, deer, Elora, could I speak with you in the other room?"

For some reason I felt nervous as I watched Mother pulling Elora behind her into the corridor, with Alinor calmly following. Father, who was caught up in a conversation with Sam, noticed them walking away, and turned to me. I couldn't tell if it was an apologetic face or a disappointed one, but he looked away quickly after. Sam gathered what just happened by looking between the two of us, and hopped out of her seat to stand next to me. I looked up into her prominent face, and asked,

"Sam, is there something I should know?"

She chuckled and sat down in an empty chair, "Sweetheart, this is family, there's nothing we would keep from you, and if we do, it's _for your protection._"

I furrowed my brow. "But, the Vestiel's aren't family. So, they would keep something from me, right?"

"Calm down, Liz, what just happened was between them and your mother. I'm sure they'll make up over a phone call in a day or two. You know us women, emotions all over the place." She tried to laugh, attempting to make the situation a little lighter. "It's all going to be okay, don't worry."

"But, the way she looked at me, like she thought I knew something. But, mother didn't tell me. Am I not smart enough to know something? Or too young? Why did Elora look so worried for my sake?"

"Ah, now you're just putting together your own puzzle. Sweetie, nothing's going on. Eat your cake and stop jumping to your own conclusions… I bet it was only a small matter."

Before I could say anything else, she gave me a light hug and walked back over to my father, to engage another long, laughing conversation. I tried to put it off and kept eating the cake. _Why did she look at me like I had something to do with it? Why did mom pull her away? Who's Rein? Father's also keeping something from me. Or, maybe he's not… Ugh…_

Just when I almost got a headache from thinking too much, Elora strolled back into the room with grace, her husband close behind. She stopped in front of me, looked back at my mother, who was now beside Alinor. "This child has every right to know." Her voice was now a little higher than usual, like there was a tint of anger within her. But even so, she kept her ground, and stood tall and beautiful like she does.

"Elora, can't you see we're keeping her safe?!"

"'Safe' isn't being oblivious to the truth.. She's going to have to learn someday. And the more you lead her into blindness, the worse off she'll be to the coming years."

"ELORA. What my child should know is my choice, not yours."

I sat there, staring at these people, like I was watching a movie. They couldn't be talking about me. Elora straightened her posture, and nodded her head. "Very well." She submitted so easily, even though she was very concerned. And for my sake.

Soon after the Vestiels left, Grandmother also bid us a farewell along with Aunt Sam, and they swooped out of our house. I waited until I heard the vehicles trail off, and then went to find my mother cleaning dishes in the kitchen. The way she stood over the sink, with such motherly composure, almost made me nervous. Father had already retreated to his office, so I walked up behind mother, breathed deeply, and spoke.

"Mother?"

She jumped and let out and small squeak, splashing some water on herself._ She was obviously deep in thought_. After clearing her throat, she smiled at me. "Elizabeth, don't scare your mother like that."  
I knew that whenever Mother didn't add a pet name or call my Lizzy, she wasn't in a good mood. Looking past this, I glared at her.

"Mother, what do I have the right to know? Better yet, why are you keeping it from me?"

She froze, almost shocked, but chuckled sweetly and continued to wash the dishes.

"Sweetie, Liz, don't let what Elora said get to you. She... can get a little out of line some times. She's always been like that..."

"But Mother, it wasn't what _she _said that caught me of guard. It was how _you _reacted. What are you keeping me safe from? What blindness? What will happen when I get older?"

"Elizabeth. Mother's busy. Maybe some other time. I put some cake in the fridge if you would like some later."

She quickly reverted back to her calm, quiet self, and acted as if I wasn't standing there, appalled at her actions. I felt anger overcome me. Mother was avoiding the subject. I sighed heavily and strutted out of the kitchen and up to my room. As much as I wanted to piece everything together and finally know these answers, _everything _seemed to be so much more than my understanding. And that just made me even more aggravated than I originally was because of Mother. My curiosity for things kept topping one another. _The moon, Rein, mythology... That __**thing. **__What the hell did they mean?_

I found myself picking up the mythology book once again, and so I slumped onto my bed and opened up to the table of contents. Right before I decided to turn the page over to a chapter on "Elves," father walked into the room. I jumped a little, not expecting him to pop in, and by sheer instinct, I shut the book hard and smiled at him. I shouldn't have felt like I was hiding the face on what I was reading to my father, the storyteller, the one who bought me this book.

"Hey."

He chuckled and sat down on the bed next to me. His eyes shifted over to the book, and his smile faded a little. "What might you be reading?"

"Oh, it's just.. Lately I've seemed to gain a big interest on mythology. It's crazy how people come up with this stuff. With the moons and the hunters and seekers… But, it's all pieces together, like it's their own little world."

I heard me father catch his breath, "Ah, well, that's what writers and storytellers are for. Their big imagination. It's all just to pass the time anyway."

"Well, your stories are always really good, why didn't you become a writer? Is it just a low paying job?"

He looked around, trying to find a response. Then, he repositioned himself to face me and said,  
"Some people… are very observant. It's just… A lot of stories stem from personal experience. Not that people run into elves while strolling in the park, but, maybe… Say a writer runs into a bad guy. Just someone who intimidates them, and gives off a dark vibe. They use that as fuel. Y'know, to make their stories seem more real. So, that writer might go home and write about someone running into a… shape shifter! And his eyes were dark, as if they were about to take form into an unknown creature, much more fearsome than our imagination can conjure. Like, they use real life situations, and turn them into a fictional one, so we relate to it in ways, but we also feel intrigued because… well, shape shifters don't exist in our world."

I forced a laugh. "Yea, that'd be… well, fearsome I suppose."

He patted my back and stood up to leave. "And about today, please disregard what happened between your mother and Elora. They always bicker about stuff."

"Yea, so I've heard, but Father, she said there was something I should know? Do you have an idea of what she might be talking about?"

He sighed, and turned his ear to me. "If you must know, we'll discuss it over dinner."

I felt a wave of relief wash over me. _Yes!_ I grinned widely and nodded, "Okay!"

And so, I was finally going to figure out what had gone on between Mother and Elora. _Maybe I can ask them about my other inquiries as well. _I shut the mythology book and set it back on the bookshelf along with the other book I knocked down. Once again, I looked around my room, and everything seemed just a little smaller, more closed in. Like a cage. _No, no. Not a cage. I'm not a bird. Or a shape shifter._

**And so, I waited, and waited, until finally, it was dinner time. **


	4. Chapter 4

Hey!~ Sorry for the wait! I know I said I would write more and faster (yada yada) but writer's block is a very effective attack on me! CRITICAL HITS EVERY TIME. Well, this chapter is a little longer, and well the beginning is kind of for the laughs. Worry not, it does get serious though! Actually, parts are all over the place. I hope you'll accept my apology for that and do not find it that hard to read. Thank you!

* * *

Walking down the stairs felt like it took forever that night. I stopped at the doorway to the kitchen to see my parents already sitting down at the table. Father was smiling and mother was pushing her food around with her fork, not giving an expression. The tension felt like mist. Cold, daunting mist. I meandered up to my seat awkwardly and sat down. Pushing my chair from behind me to sit closer to the table sounded five times louder than usual, leaving an even more awkward feel in the air.

I took a piece of bread to butter it, trying to be nonchalant, telling myself not to rush things, when father spoke up.

"So, like I had promised, I suppose it's time to have the talk, right mother?"

She just closed her eyes and nodded. "I guess she should know this information."

I almost squirmed in my seat. "Um, so, is there certain things that I need to know first? Like, something unbelievable?" _Like creatures that sit up in trees at night?_

Mother was the first one to talk. "Well, it's very believable, it might take a little imagination for you to understand… but it's not always fun to learn about. It's pretty scary, actually."

"Would… Do I need experience to really understand it? Because…-"

I was interrupted by dad choking on his water. "NO! No experience is needed. None, nope. You absolutely do not need to do that."

I was stunned by his reaction. "Why is it so bad?"

Mother cleared her throat and straightened her posture. "Well, sweetie, considering your current situation, I'm positive you won't be getting any _experience. _Especially since I wouldn't be giving you my consent for such nonsense at the shy age of sixteen. You probably won't even need to know this stuff until you've moved out, which will be much farther into the future."

"Why can't I do it now?"

Dad, almost choking again, yelled, "WITH WHO?!"

Befuddlement washed over me. "Wait… what? Why would I need someone to do it with?"

"Sweetie, Lizzy, it has a lot to do with love. Doing such things without love can be very dangerous. And under any circumstances, no matter what they may be, you need to use protection. At all times."

"Protection? What kind of protection?" _Like guns and armor?  
_"Contraceptives."

"….You mean like, condoms?"

Dad winced. Mother nodded. And suddenly, I felt more embarrassed than I had ever been.

"Father, by 'the talk,' you meant talking about… safe sex?!"

"Well, yea! What else did you have in mind? Silly girl."

I felt hot blood reach my face. And a wave of disappointed flew over me.  
"Of course. It was _silly_ of me to think you would actually answer me so easily. Instead you guys are just going to leave me in the dark. Like always."

Neither of them said anything. I waited a few moments, and then stood up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to have to have some time to myself and find reasons as to why I'm not capable of knowing your secrets."

"Why would you say that?!" Mother shouted, a little angered.

"Well, what's the worst that's going to happen? You think I'm gonna tell anyone? Mom, I don't have any friends. I don't even have any acquaintances other than family and our neighbors."

"Liz, we've went through this before. You don't need friends. They're just bad influences."

"No, mom, not everyone out there is a criminal. A delinquent. And, do you not think I'm strong enough to make my own decisions?! I may do everything you say, but that doesn't mean I can't live without you."

"Darling, you don't know what you're saying. Just, go to your room and catch up on your studying."

"**Why can't I go outside?**"

She looked up from her food, finally settling her eyes on me. As I expected, she looked at me as if I had insulted her. I inhaled deeply and returned her gaze.

"Tell me. Why won't you let me outside."  
"Honey, go to your room. I will not be discussing this with y-"  
"WHY?!"

"GO TO YOUR ROOM." Mother slammed her hand down on the table, making the dishes clatter. Father jumped in his seat, keeping his face down. Father never was a fighter, but I was surprised that he wasn't at least taking Mother's side.

I felt my mind start to throb from anger. With my breath held and my fists clutched so tightly I was almost cutting the insides of my palms with my nails, I turned away from them and stomped up the stairs to retreat into my room. _My cage_. I couldn't feel the ground beneath me as I distanced myself from my parents. My hands became numb. Everything became numb. This was probably the best. I didn't want to feel anything. So many years of being curious and only now do I want the answer more than anything else.

As soon as I slammed the door behind me, locking it, I walked over to my nightstand and threw multiple objects across the room, letting my rage slip out of me. My eyes were closed, because I knew if I opened them everything would be fuzzy from tears. I felt so weak. Finally, I shoved my lamp off of my nightstand and listened to it thump on the carpet, the bulb broke against the frame of the shade. My knees gave out and I fell to the floor. The throbbing in my head wouldn't stop.

Then I just screamed. Out of pure frustration, I screamed as tears rolled down my face. This emotion was so built up, that when it happened, I just exploded. The years of isolation were crawling up on me. Father always told me never to feel like I was alone, because I wasn't. I had a family that loved me, and that's all anyone needs. I cried, not because I was so mad at not knowing the truth, but I cried because at that moment, I had let myself feel alone. Like that small room of broken things was all my world ever was, and I couldn't stop crying because I feared that, that very room was all my world was ever going to be. I let myself empty my tear ducts and I curled up on the floor, yanking a blanket from my bed to cover me.

…

Mother walked up to my door later. She attempted to open it, which woke me up. I looked at the door, confused for a moment, but quickly remembered I had locked it. I listened to see if she would try to open it again, but instead came a few seconds of silence, before she steadily spoke from behind the door.

"Elizabeth, honey… It's late and I just wanted to make sure you had the blinds down on your window."

"Yea, they're down." I tried to speak firmly, but it was so obvious from my dried voice that I had been crying. Even the way I breathed was evidence. I didn't even look at the window to see if the blinds were down. I barely had my blinds open anyway. My window was so small, and had a very thick screen on the outside, making it nearly impossible to see anything outside.

"Okay, well, I'm going to sleep…"  
"Good night."  
"You too."

I heard her footsteps walk away, and shortly after her door shut. She had left without saying 'I love you.' It wasn't like she said it every night and this was the only exception, but it still shot a pain in my chest. Once again, the word _lonely_ creeped into the back of my mind. I shifted to lie on my back and stared at the ceiling. The tears had now dried and made my face feel flaky. So, I got up off the floor and walking out of my room, and down the stairs to go to the bathroom. Once in there, I looked in the mirror, to my pale face. I smiled, and yet still looked so terribly sad, it ironically made me chuckle. I leaned down, closer to the sink, and splashed some cold water on my face.

I grabbed a small face towel from the cabinet below the sink and patted my face dry, and felt a little better. Like I had splashed the sadness away. Or maybe cold water just numbs the sadness for the time being. I sighed and put the towel away, then walked out of the bathroom and into kitchen. I was careful not to turn any lights on, so mother's intruder –spidey senses didn't go off. Instead, I kept the bathroom lights on, and they faintly lit up the kitchen, making it to where I could see.

The table had already been cleaned up and the dishes were neatly put away. I walked up to the kitchen sink because something had caught my eye. In the smallest crack in the blinds of the window right above the sink, I saw light peeking through. From outside. I lifted a piece to look through, and the lights from inside the garage were on.

We have a separate garage, where my dad can park his SUV, but most of the time, I see the SUV outside of the garage, and the garage door closed. _Like there's not enough room or something._ I squinted and looked closer, at the small window, to where the light was coming from.

_Whoosh!_

A black figure walked in front of the window and stopped. It was a male, tall, average build. He was talking to someone else. Then, after lifting the blinds a little more and focusing once again, I realized...

_That's… my dad? But… who is he talking to, at this hour?_

I shifted the blinds a little more to get a better view, but then heard the sound of a light switch go off from the top of the stairs. _Mother had turned the hall light on! _

I let go of the blinds and shuffled back into the bathroom, hoping it wouldn't make that much noise.

"Honey?"  
"Uh... Mom?"  
"OH. Liz! What are you doing down there?"  
"Ah, I just had to go to the bathroom. I had forgotten to go before I went to bed... so…"  
"Oh, I see. Well, get back to bed quickly, okay?"  
"Yea. Sorry."

I heard her turn to go back, but then she stopped. "Sweetie?"

"Yes Mother?"  
"I love you."

A feeling of relief passed through me. I looked up at the mirror to see a small grin on my face.  
"I love you too, Mom. A lot."

She continued her way back to her room, gently closing the door behind her.

I exhaled deeply and trudged back up to my room. It was dark, since my lamp was now on the floor, with the light broke. No light was coming in from the window, but that's nothing new. I walked up to my blinds and shut them tight, so mother couldn't walk into an 'open' window in the morning. She would probably print out some work for me to study early in the morning. Lying down on my bed gave a small feeling of comfort. I left the blanket on the floor though, since I wasn't too cold and easily fell asleep without one.

_I faded into nostalgic scenery. I was in our back yard, sitting in the grass, making floral headdresses with clovers and wildflowers. I looked around to see my parents, laughing, sitting in two white lawn chairs. My grandmother and aunt were standing behind them, watching me carefully. I looked further to the left to see Elora and Alin, kneeling on one knee, looking at me with their hands exposed. A pose that easily shouts 'your highness'. Behind them was another figure, not bowing, but also watching me. In the bright day light, he looked like a shadow. He stood still, in his own place, giving off a strong feeling of protection towards me. I felt like the center of attention. Like they were all waiting for me to put on some sort of show for them. _

_So I stood, dropping the headdress at my feet. The higher I rose, the more grey everything else got. Suddenly, I looked at my family to see them float away. Tiny pieces of them were carried away by the wind. Like ash. After they were completely gone, I switched my attention to the Vestiels to see if they were doing the same. Elora and Alinor were already gone. But the boy still stood. Though, he seemed to keep getting darker, along with everything else. _

_Then the world started to spin around me. As if I was in the center of a tornado. I kept turning, looking to see what was happening, what all of this meant, and the weirdest part was that I was completely calm. Like I was waiting for something else to happen._

_And it did. When the spinning stopping, the area sharpened, and I was now standing in front of our back door. __**Where I stood on my birthday. **__By instinct, I looked up into the tree, and almost chuckled to myself, upon seeing the creature still standing there. Still waiting for me. _

_But this time, I didn't run away. I ran towards him. I wasn't scared. Quite the contrary, to my surprise, I felt natural. Too natural. I stopped at the bottom of the tree, and reached down at my thigh. There was a strap that held a dagger, and I knew it was there. I yanked the dagger out and jumped up at creature, as he jumped down at me._

_We met half way, and I sliced my dagger across its chest, feeling a deep contact with the blade. I then shifted and kicked him away, positioning myself to land properly. It was wounded badly, and doubled over, but didn't hesitate to charge at me once again, swinging its arms at me. I perfectly dodged its attacks, counterattacking him with my dagger. Then finally, I shoved the dagger into its shoulder and it let out a horrifying screech, pulling away from my bloodstained weapon. _

_It jumped and scurried away, leaving me alone in the dead of the night. Only I didn't feel alone. From out in the distance, I heard a deep voice tell me,_

"_Good work."_

I flinched and sprung up, fully awake. "What?" I looked around, not aware of my surrounding yet. Then I felt my blanket on top of me, and the bed beneath. I saw my mother standing next to my nightstand, putting my lamp back up.

"I said I found you some good work to study on. This is about medieval literature. I'm sure you'll love it."

And surely enough, I looked to see a neatly stacked pile of papers sitting on my night stand. I sighed and sat up more comfortably, pushing the hair out of my face.

"What's wrong? You seem frazzled."

"Ah, I just had a weird dream."

"Oh? Would you like to share it?"

"No, I already forgot most of it." _Not true. I still remember the tiniest details._ "It was really weird." _Very true._

She nodded and left the room after kissing my forward._ I barely ever remember my dreams. What the hell was that? _ I slipped the blanket off of me and grabbed some clothes. _I need a shower…_

After I got out of the bathroom, I poured myself a glass of milk and grabbed a bagel. Father was sitting at the dinner table, having a cup of coffee. I looked up at the clock above the oven. _6:45._

I sat down across from Father and began eating my bagel. To get rid of the awkward silence, I spoke up after swallowing my food.

"Hey, do you ever have really weird dreams that you can't forget?"

"Too many to count," Father said with a smile. "Why? Did you have a weird dream last night? I don't blame you. A lot went on." He took a sip of hi coffee and kept reading his book.

"Yea, in my dream I was killing something. But, the weird thing is, I was actually good at it. Like, I dodged its attacks and everything. Like I was some sort of assassin. And you guys were in the dream as well. But you quickly faded away, like you weren't real. And the Vestiels were there two. And… there was a third person with them. But I couldn't see his face. Weird, right."

I looked to see Father wearing a very befuddled face. Or, maybe it was worried. I was planning to gather some courage and ask him what was in the garage, hoping he would shed some hints on what he was doing last night, but before I spoke up, he set his coffee down and turned his head away slowly to face Mother, who was now coming down the stairs holding a basket brimming full of laundry.

"You hear that, honey?"  
She giggled, in a surprisingly good mood, she asked, "No, what did I miss?"

"Apparently Elizabeth has been having dreams of being a _professional killer_ of some sorts. She said she it was weird how she just _knew_ how to kill her enemy. And also, she saw the Vestiels in her dream, and they were with another person, but she couldn't see who it was. **Weird, right, dear?**"

It seemed to be in slow motion when Mother suddenly dropped the basket, letting the clothes fall everywhere. It was like a firework, watching all the colors fly about down the stair case. And she didn't seem to pay much attention. Instead, she looked at me in horror.

"Elizabeth, is this true?"

"Well, yea, but I only had one dream like thi-"

She held her hand up at me, to stop me from saying anything more. After, she turned and faced Father, looking more worried than he was. The color had almost left her face, leaving her pale. She spoke, softly, but it sounded like she had just received news that a relative died.

"This isn't good."


End file.
